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Jonathan W. Blodgett

District Attorney

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For Immediate Release - August 18, 2011

Former Jail Employee Pleads Not Guilty To Having Sex With Inmate

Former Essex County Correctional Facility employee Patricia Papa, 40, pleaded not guilty today in Salem Superior Court to a charge of sexual relations with an inmate by an officer or other employee of a penal or correctional institution.

Judge Kimberly S. Budd set bail at $500 cash, which had been previously agreed upon by the prosecutor and defense counsel, and ordered Papa to return to court on October 3 for a pre-trial conference.

The conduct is alleged to have occurred with a male inmate on divers dates between March 1 and March 28 of 2011, in Papa's office at the Correctional Alternative Center in Lawrence. Papa was the re-integration coordinator at that facility.

If convicted Papa faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.

The case will be prosecuted by Essex Assistant District Attorney Melissa Woodard. Papa is represented by Attorney Ted Cranney.